“Social media has made it too tempting for marketers to change direction as soon as something doesn’t work, what’s harder is having the conviction to stay en route,” revealed Cheryl Toner, group marketing and communications director at AXA UK and judge at this year’s The Drum Marketing Awards.
Disagreeing with the common perception that too many brands are “playing it safe” when it comes to marketing, Toner argued that there are “a number of brands working really hard to ensure their positioning is clear” particularly in the financial world.
“In the financial services market there are lots of brands pushing beyond what you would expect them to be,” Toner explained.
AXA 'Little things mean a lot'
Axa launched 'Little things mean a lot' in 2013
“There’s a regulatory side to financial services which means we have rules we have to follow but it’s a world that affects people’s lives and wellbeing so you have to accept it’s a serious subject.
“You can’t be frivolous with the little decisions customers are making because they’re incredibly important...we have to accept there’s a line we cannot cross in a way an FMCG brand probably could.”
With financial brands including Barclays, HSBC and First Direct actively pursuing marketing success through social and Nationwide Building Society manning its Twitter account 24/7, Toner believes despite the “perception that it is more limited” financial services marketing is still about “understanding what customers want and how your brand attributes can bring that to life”.
via www.thedrum.com
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